Want to turn employees into evangelists? Start by getting out of their way
Much has been said over the past few years about the secret sauce involved in turning your employees into genuine – and effective – brand evangelists. But the best single piece of advice I can think of is this: Simply get out of their way.
Engagement + Reasons to Share = Social Spread
While I’d love to say there’s some magic formula for what goes into making a social media marketing campaign successful (X + Y x Z = Social Awesomeness!), the reality is a whole lot messier: Solid fundamentals mixed in with a lot of hard work, a bit of flair for the art, and no small amount of good luck and timing.
Six Facebook Engagement Tips from my PRSA Panel
Did you know that on Facebook, 96% of your fans never revisit your page?*
Think of the implications of that for a moment, from a marketer’s perspective. You’ve been handed the keys to your company’s social media kingdom, and you went out and did what pretty much every company does when they first dive into Facebook – try to acquire more fans. You run smart promotions, roll out irresistible giveaways, and create kick ass landing tabs that are so compelling visitors can’t *wait* to Like your page to get access to all the exclusive content/deals/whatever.
Ken Courts Barbie Online – A Great Social Media Marketing Example
News “broke” yesterday of a very smart social media marketing campaign by Mattel – Ken, the apparently “ex” boyfriend doll of Barbie, the iconic doll that’s a staple of American culture, is courting her via various online and social activities, trying to win her back. So far the campaign appears to be centered on Facebook, where it’s largely focused on tapping into Barbie’s nearly 1.7 million fans (poor Ken rates only 27K).
Character-based profiles on social media sites aren’t new, though their success can vary. It largely depends on how committed the brand is to staying true to the character voice, if they stick with the effort beyond a short-lived campaign, and how well they capture the elements of the character that appeal most to fans.
Mattel seems to be hitting well on each of those elements with Barbie, and it’s a smart move to turn Barbie’s attention to her on-again, off-again significant other Ken in order to create a bit of online drama that her fans can eagerly connect with (after all, this effort might be all about building the Ken brand anew, but it will the strength of Barbie’s fan base that makes it happen).
It’s apparently a useful vehicle for Mattel to work in partner promotions, as evidenced by the recent posts promoting Match.com and The Magnolia Bakery. I’d also be interested to see how and if this campaign gets tied into the “Genuine Ken” reality show.
As this campaign extends out over Twitter and Foursquare, to compliment the current Facebook and video/TV efforts, it’s shaping up to be a fun example of a solid multi-network social media campaign.
As we all know, the world marketer's face has changed forever, and here is yet another oddly named blog to help you navigate it all. I'm Kevin Briody, lifelong marketer, ex-Microsoftie, startup and nonprofit veteran, current agency -type, and your host. 
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